Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Germany. After World War II many expellees (German: Heimatvertriebene) from the land east of the Oder-Neisse received refuge in both West Germany and East Germany. Some of the expellees are active in politics and belong to the political right-wing. Many others do not belong to any organizations, but they continue to maintain what they call a lawful right to their homeland. The vast majority pledged to work peacefully towards that goal while rebuilding post-war Germ ...

See also:

Expulsion of Germans after World War II, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Wording of the actual agreement, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Discussion of the reasons, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - The results, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Summary of German Expellee Population, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Historical development, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Germany, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Poland, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Czechoslovakia, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Hungary, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Russia, Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Development

Read more here: » Expulsion of Germans after World War II: Encyclopedia II - Expulsion of Germans after World War II - Historical development

After the Russian Revolution, the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Autonome Sozialistische Sowjet-Republik der Wolga-Deutschen; Автоно́мная Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика Не́мцев Пово́лжья) was established from 1924–1942 with the capital in Engels (known as "Pokrovsk" before 1931). As the Nazis advanced into the USSR towards Volga, Joseph Stalin became worried about the possibility of Volga Germans collaborating with them. On August 28, 1941 ...

See also:

Volga German, Volga German - Catherine the Great, Volga German - The twentieth century, Volga German - The present day, Volga German - Volga Germans in North America, Volga German - Volga Germans in South America

Read more here: » Volga German: Encyclopedia II - Volga German - The twentieth century

The initial phase of German settlement began in the mid-12th century with colonists travelling to what would become the Altland or Hermannstadt Provinz (Sibiu County). Although the primary reason for Géza II's invitation was border defense with the Szeklers against invaders, Germans were also sought for their mining expertise and ability to develop the region's economy. Most colonists fro ...

See also:

Transylvanian Saxons, Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval settlements, Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval organization, Transylvanian Saxons - Legal organization, Transylvanian Saxons - Religious organizations, Transylvanian Saxons - Fortification of the towns, Transylvanian Saxons - Privileged class, Transylvanian Saxons - Loss of elite standing, Transylvanian Saxons - World War II and afterwards, Transylvanian Saxons - 20th century population figures

Read more here: » Transylvanian Saxons: Encyclopedia II - Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval settlements

The Soviet army initiated an offensive into East Prussia on October 1944, but after two weeks it was temporarily driven back. After that, the German Ministry of Propaganda reported that war crimes had taken place in East Prussian villages, in particular in Nemmersdorf (now Mayakovskoye, Kaliningrad) and Goldap. According to the German side, all the inhabitants of those villages were killed. This version of events was widely disseminated by German propaganda to increase the motivation of German soldiers in their efforts to stop the Red ...

See also:

Evacuation of East Prussia, Evacuation of East Prussia - German propaganda, Evacuation of East Prussia - Soviet propaganda and retribution

Read more here: » Evacuation of East Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Evacuation of East Prussia - German propaganda

Sudetenland - Early Origins and part of Austria. Sudetenland is a 20th century name and not a historical region and it is thus difficult to describe a distinct consistent history of the Sudetenland. The history of Sudetenland basically followed the history of Bohemia and Moravia until the 20th century; small parts of Sudetenland were also situated in the historical region of Silesia. The regions later called Sudetenland were part of the Slavic state known as Great Moravia for five years (888/890 to 894/895 ...

See also:

Sudetenland, Sudetenland - History of Sudetenland, Sudetenland - Early Origins and part of Austria, Sudetenland - 1918 short-lived union with Austria, Sudetenland - Sudetenland becomes part of the Third Reich, Sudetenland - Aftermath of World War II, Sudetenland - Sources and References

Read more here: » Sudetenland: Encyclopedia II - Sudetenland - History of Sudetenland

Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Australia. Persecution of ethnic Germans was much the same in Australia as it was in the United States during World War I. Many were interned for the duration of the war and others faced hostility from their fellow citizens. To avoid persecution, many Germans changed their names into anglicised or Francophone variants. Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Germany. The book Other Losses by James Bacque (ISBN 1551681919) alleg ...

See also:

Organised persecution of ethnic Germans, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Background, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Specific Locales, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Australia, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Germany, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Soviet Union, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Poland, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Norway, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Italy, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - United States, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Canada, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Britain

Read more here: » Organised persecution of ethnic Germans: Encyclopedia II - Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Specific Locales

The Beneš decrees are most often associated with transfer (expulsion or resettlement) in 1945-47 of about three million former Czechoslovak citizens of German ethnicity (see Sudetenland) in the Czechoslovakia to Germany and Austria. However, they do not directly refer to the transfer or expulsion. It was the Potsdam conference in 1945 in which the Allied poweres agreed to the expulsion of some 11 million ethnic Germans from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The Czechoslovak government expelled Czechoslovakia ...

See also:

Beneš decrees, Beneš decrees - List of more controversial decrees, Beneš decrees - Post-war settlement in Europe and the Beneš decrees

Read more here: » Beneš decrees: Encyclopedia II - Beneš decrees - Post-war settlement in Europe and the Beneš decrees

Danube Swabians - Origins. Beginning in the 12th century, German merchants and miners began to settle in the Kingdom of Hungary at the invitation of the Hungarian monarchy. Although there were significant colonies of Carpathian Germans in the Spiš mountains and Transylvanian Saxons in Transylvania, German settlement throughout the rest of the kingdom had not been extensive until this time. During the 17th-18th centuries, warfare between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire devastated and depopulat ...

See also:

Danube Swabians, Danube Swabians - History, Danube Swabians - Origins, Danube Swabians - Settlement, Danube Swabians - Expulsion and current situation, Danube Swabians - Culture, Danube Swabians - Language, Danube Swabians - Naming, Danube Swabians - Coat of arms

Read more here: » Danube Swabians: Encyclopedia II - Danube Swabians - History

The Beneš decrees are most often associated with transfer (expulsion or resettlement) in 1945-47 of about three million former Czechoslovak citizens of German ethnicity (see Sudetenland) in the Czechoslovakia to Germany and Austria. However, they do not directly refer to the transfer or expulsion. It was the Potsdam conference in 1945 in which the Allied poweres agreed to the expulsion of some 11 million ethnic Germans from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The Czechoslovak government expelled Czechoslovakia ...

See also:

Beneš decrees, Beneš decrees - Overview, Beneš decrees - List of more controversial decrees, Beneš decrees - Post-war settlement in Europe and the Beneš decrees, Beneš decrees - Impact on today's political relations

Read more here: » Beneš decrees: Encyclopedia II - Beneš decrees - Post-war settlement in Europe and the Beneš decrees

The Danube Swabian culture is a melting pot of southern German regional customs, with a large degree of Balkan, mostly Hungarian, influence. This is especially true of the food, where paprika is heavily employed, which lead to the nickname for Hungarian Germans of Paprikadeutsche. The architecture is neither Southern German nor Balkan but is unique to itself. The houses, often made of mud bricks, are ubiquitous throughout the Banat region. < ...

See also:

Danube Swabians, Danube Swabians - History, Danube Swabians - Origins, Danube Swabians - Settlement, Danube Swabians - Expulsion and current situation, Danube Swabians - Culture, Danube Swabians - Language, Danube Swabians - Naming, Danube Swabians - Coat of arms

Read more here: » Danube Swabians: Encyclopedia II - Danube Swabians - Culture

Volga Germans emigrated to the United States and Canada and settled mainly in the Great Plains; Alberta, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Manitoba, Minnesota, eastern Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Saskatchewan, and often succeeding in dryland farming, a skill learned in Russia. Many of the emigrants who arrived after between 1870 and 1912 spent a period doing farm labor, in northeastern Colorado in the sugar beet fields. Bernhard Warkentin, a German Russian, was born in a small Russian village in 1847, and traveled to Americ ...

See also:

Volga German, Volga German - Catherine the Great, Volga German - The twentieth century, Volga German - The present day, Volga German - Volga Germans in North America, Volga German - Volga Germans in South America

Read more here: » Volga German: Encyclopedia II - Volga German - Volga Germans in North America

The Volga Germans never returned to the Volga region. After the war, many settled in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, Kazakhstan (2% of todays Kazakh population are recognized as Germans - approximately 300,000), Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (appr. 16,000 = 0.064%). Decades after the war, some talked about resettling where the German Autonomous Republic used to be, but this movement met with opposition from the population resettl ...

See also:

Volga German, Volga German - Catherine the Great, Volga German - The twentieth century, Volga German - The present day, Volga German - Volga Germans in North America, Volga German - Volga Germans in South America

Read more here: » Volga German: Encyclopedia II - Volga German - The present day

Since the times of Imperial Russia, the word "Prussia" was associated with militarism. In the Soviet Union "Prussian militarism and reaction" was presented as the cause of the First World War. Allegedly, Soviet propaganda put the blame for the Second World War on "Prussian militarism" as well. Since many Soviet soldiers had lost close family and friends at the hands of the Germans (circa 17 million Soviet civilians died in World War II, more than in any other country), they could feel a desire to take vengeance on Prussians. Cases of ...

See also:

Evacuation of East Prussia, Evacuation of East Prussia - German propaganda, Evacuation of East Prussia - Soviet propaganda and retribution

Read more here: » Evacuation of East Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Evacuation of East Prussia - Soviet propaganda and retribution

Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. The term has come back into fashion since the collapse of the Cold War, which had divided Europe politically into East and West. The region is generally considered to contain (from North to South): Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Slovenia and more rarely Croatia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovi ...

Including:

• Central Europe - Between the Alps and the Baltics
• Central Europe - Culturally Central-European
• Central Europe - Central Europe behind the Iron Curtain
• Central Europe - The new members of the European Union
• Central Europe - Remnants of the Holy Roman Empire

Read more here: » Central Europe: Encyclopedia - Central Europe

Czech Silesia, one of the three Czech lands, is the Czech part of Silesia. It is located in the north-east of the Czech Republic. In the past it has also been known as Moravian Silesia, Austrian Silesia (before 1918), and Sudeten Silesia (1918 to 1945). Czech Silesia - Geography. The area lies to the east and west of the city of Ostrava and comprises much of the modern Moravian-Silesian Region and, in its far west, a small part of the Olomouc Region around the city of Jese ...

Including:

• Czech Silesia - Geography
• Czech Silesia - History
• Czech Silesia - People
• Czech Silesia - Sources

Read more here: » Czech Silesia: Encyclopedia - Czech Silesia

Historically, the persecution of German-speaking communities in Central and Eastern Europe was due to many causes. In most cases as in the Sudetenland and Poland, such German-speaking communities had to face a hostile environment after annexion of their formerly German or Austro-Hungarian territories by newly created states such as Czechoslovakia or Poland as a sanction of the Treaty of Versailles. After World War II, many such Volksdeutsche were killed or driven from their homes in acts of vengeance, more often in order to conquer and to ethnically cleanse those territo ...

See also:

Organised persecution of ethnic Germans, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Background, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Specific Locales, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Australia, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Germany, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Soviet Union, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Poland, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Norway, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Italy, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - United States, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Canada, Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Britain

Read more here: » Organised persecution of ethnic Germans: Encyclopedia II - Organised persecution of ethnic Germans - Background

Up to some point the decrees affect the political relations between the Czech Republic and its neighbours, Austria and Germany (and on even smaller scale between Czech Republic and Slovakia and Hungary). The expelees organised within the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft (part of the Federation of Expellees) and associated political groups call for the abolition of the Beneš decrees. They consider the decrees to be based on the principle of collective guilt. So far European and international courts have refused to rule on cases c ...

See also:

Beneš decrees, Beneš decrees - Overview, Beneš decrees - List of more controversial decrees, Beneš decrees - Post-war settlement in Europe and the Beneš decrees, Beneš decrees - Impact on today's political relations

Read more here: » Beneš decrees: Encyclopedia II - Beneš decrees - Impact on today's political relations

Volga Germans emigrated to the United States and Canada and settled mainly in the Great Plains; Alberta, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Manitoba, Minnesota, eastern Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington,Saskatchewan, and often succeeding in dryland farming, a skill learned in Russia. Many of the emigrants who arrived after between 1870 and 1912 spent a period doing farm labor, in northeastern Colorado and Montana in the sugar beet fields. Bernhard Warkentin, a German Russian, was born in a small Russian village in 1847, ...

See also:

Volga German, Volga German - Catherine the Great, Volga German - The twentieth century, Volga German - The present day, Volga German - Volga Germans in North America, Volga German - Volga Germans in South America

Read more here: » Volga German: Encyclopedia II - Volga German - Volga Germans in North America

Transylvanian Saxons - Legal organization. Although the knights had left Transylvania, the Saxon colonists remained, however, and the king allowed them to retain the rights and obligations included in the Andreanum Act (in German: Goldener Freibrief der Siebenbürger Sachsen) of 1224. This document conferred upon the German population of the territory between Draas (Drăuşeni) and Broos (Orăştie) both administrative and religious autonomy and obligations towards the kings of Hungary. The t ...

See also:

Transylvanian Saxons, Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval settlements, Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval organization, Transylvanian Saxons - Legal organization, Transylvanian Saxons - Religious organizations, Transylvanian Saxons - Fortification of the towns, Transylvanian Saxons - Privileged class, Transylvanian Saxons - Loss of elite standing, Transylvanian Saxons - World War II and afterwards, Transylvanian Saxons - 20th century population figures

Read more here: » Transylvanian Saxons: Encyclopedia II - Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval organization

Along with the (largely Hungarian) Transylvanian nobility and the Szeklers, the Transylvanian Saxons were members of the Unio Trium Nationum, or "Union of the Three Nations", signed in 1438. This agreement preserved political rights for the three inclusive groups and excluded the largely Romanian peasantry from political life. During the Reformation, most Transylvanian Saxons converted to Lutheranism. As the semi-independent Principality of Transylvania was one of the most religiously tolerant states in Europe, the Saxons were allowed ...

See also:

Transylvanian Saxons, Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval settlements, Transylvanian Saxons - Medieval organization, Transylvanian Saxons - Legal organization, Transylvanian Saxons - Religious organizations, Transylvanian Saxons - Fortification of the towns, Transylvanian Saxons - Privileged class, Transylvanian Saxons - Loss of elite standing, Transylvanian Saxons - World War II and afterwards, Transylvanian Saxons - 20th century population figures

Read more here: » Transylvanian Saxons: Encyclopedia II - Transylvanian Saxons - Privileged class